How many "spare" tools do you have

[John Weber]

I've got a couple spare tools I'm thinking of getting rid of, but not sure. I have lots of loaner tools (circular saw, drill, and a few others) as I hate to lend good tools to neighbors. I also have a couple tools I’m wondering if I should keep. One is an old Delta 220 10" CMS, complete with guards, extensions, etc... I thought I might keep it as a job site saw, but it's has a lot of cast iron in it and heavy as heck. It works well, although not as accurate as my Milwaukee. The last time I used it was last year on the play set. I don't have room to keep it setup for rough cuts so it sets on the floor under the edge sander. I do keep a decent Freud 60 tooth blade on it.

I also have an 8" Delta drill press, that I got a part of a machine lot. I thought I might keep it for who knows what .... anyway I have yet to use it. I have a nice drill press and while the small Delta doesn't really take much room, I'm wondering if I will ever have a use for it.

I would save them for loaners, but seldom get the call for a drill or CMS. I could also stick them in the attic for longer term storage (just in case); either isn't worth much so basically just saving space.

So what do you guys do with your spares? The shop is only 14x21 so not much room for non-producers.

Thanks - John

[Chad Pater]

I think you started to answer your question. It really sounds like the issue is the space. The tools aren't worth much so either way the issue isn't money. And like you said they don't get loaned out much so if it were me I would sell them and recover the space. If you had the space you could keep them.
chad

[David LaRue]

John,

I have the same Delta saw. And you are righ that thing is HEAVY. I figure for now I will keep it and use it when I need to cut some PVC. ;) I fond a nice spot under my out feed table of my PM66. I just replaced the old Delta with a new 12" CMS. I'll get to put it through the paces next week with a room full of wainscot. :)

[David Klink]

I work out of the garage (Around 20x24), and anything bigger than a breadbox that I don't use gets sold or given away.

Right now I have 2 scrollsaws and a 6" benchtop joiner that are serving no purpose. Hopefully they'll be going bye-bye when we have the community garage sale this weekend. If not, an ad goes in the paper this Monday.

I had two miter saws at one point. When I got the new one, I never used the other, though I thought I would keep it around "just because". As I picked up more tools, there was no way I could justify keeping it around, so I sold it. Take the cash, however much or little, and put it towards something you can use.

[Dominic Greco]

John,
I have an old Craftsman shaper that is scheduled to be refurbed and sold as soon as possible. Along with that, I have (2) small tablesaws. One is a Buffalo 8" tilting table (from the 1930s), and the other is a POS Craftsman 10" Benchtop Tablesaw (this was my very first tablesaw).

All are scheduled for "liquidation" as soon as they are in good enough shape to be sold. In my 16' x 26' shop, I really need all the room I can get.

It sounds like you are looking for a reason to sell the drill press and CMS. I say, go for it! IMHO, a tool never (or seldom) used is just a big paperweight.

[JayStPeter]

I plan on getting a new CMS soon. When I do, I will get an abrasive metal cutting blade for the old one. Yes, I realize that it isn't made for that and it will probably ruin the saw. But, I am replacing the saw for a reason and it isn't worth much on the used market. Plus, I can't afford a bunch of metalworking stuff until I get my WW shop "finished".

Jay

[Chris Padilla]

Due to space, I am trying NOT to accumulate tools that are redundant or that I simply don't use anymore. If they are still good, I will try to sell them. This is mostly for larger items like a MS. Drills and routers and such don't take up too much room and so I feel compelled to hang on to those items. I have a DW705 CMS (12") and if I were to upgrade to a SCMS (doubtful), I would definately try to sell the CMS.

I recently picked up $300 for my Delta 22-580 Planer since it will be replace with the 16" J/P coming some day. Now I am planerless but I'll survive somehow. :D I originally thought to keep it for running crap through (plywood, drywall, particle board, card board, etc.) it and save wear 'n tear on the J/P but I just can't afford the space. I'll run the crap through the J/P but I'll just use the crappy knives since they're easy as pie to change--I heard! :)

So I guess hand tools, small tools are easy to accumulate but the larger items, no way, Jose. :)

[Ken Salisbury]

"SPARE TOOLS" is an oxymoron !! :D

[Steve Evans]

I originally thought to keep it for running crap through (plywood, drywall, particle board, card board, etc.)

Drywall?? Through the planer?? That would be quite the sight

[Chris Padilla]

Sure, ever have a chunk of 5/8" but need 1/2" ?? :p

[Alan Turner]

If its big, I sell it. If its small, I keep it, although I wonder why at times. Right now Ihave 4 good sized boxes of extra handtools in my basment, and they are very much in the way. I keep hoping to buy a small piece of an indusitral building, and am thinking I will need an extra set of hand tools. They are hard to let go of.

[Joe Scarfo]

I think of them in the context of "spares"... not extras...

The ol' MOL bought me an Shopsmith a few weeks back and there's just no room. I gave her the lecture of not purch tools without first checking w/ me. It's gotta go and it'll go cheap too.

I finally ditched 2 of the 3 miter saws I had, the extra router table, the jointer, the dual (disk/belt) sander, the orig table saw, still have two uni's hanging around though. Gotta ditch the extra bench grinder, the extra belt sanders, and to many other items to list...

Good Luck

Joe in Tampa

[Chris Padilla]

Dang, Joe, wish you were out here...I could help take some of those things off your hands! :)

[Dan Mages]

Lemme think....

4 tape measures
3 sets of nail sinks
2 combo sqaures
3 drills (2 cordless)
2 backsaws
and many other redundant tools that I can't think of.

Dan

[Bart Leetch]

How many "spare" tools do you have ???


I have heard profane words. But this is the first time I've heard of anyone turning a few perfectly good words into profanity. No I never have any spare tools. Maybe a few extra tools but they all get used from time to time. :) :D :)

[Frank Pellow]

I have 3.5 spare workshops and most of my spare tools end up in oe of them. The spare workshops are located at:

-one at my island near Hearst in Northern Ontario

-one in my daughter Kathleen's basement in downtown Toronto

-one in my daughter Kristel's basement in Carleton Place Ontario

-one half in my frend Peter's garage in Bellevue Washington

My big problems are :

(1) often the tools that I leave in one of these locations are not spare

(2) often I leave a spare tool in the wrong workshop (and ,as you can see, the sites are very distributed)

[Dale Thompson]

Due to space, I am trying NOT to accumulate tools that are redundant or that I simply don't use anymore. If they are still good, I will try to sell them. This is mostly for larger items like a MS. Drills and routers and such don't take up too much room and so I feel compelled to hang on to those items. I have a DW705 CMS (12") and if I were to upgrade to a SCMS (doubtful), I would definately try to sell the CMS.

I recently picked up $300 for my Delta 22-580 Planer since it will be replace with the 16" J/P coming some day. Now I am planerless but I'll survive somehow. :D I originally thought to keep it for running crap through (plywood, drywall, particle board, card board, etc.) it and save wear 'n tear on the J/P but I just can't afford the space. I'll run the crap through the J/P but I'll just use the crappy knives since they're easy as pie to change--I heard! :)

So I guess hand tools, small tools are easy to accumulate but the larger items, no way, Jose. :)


Hey San Josey,
What does "redundant" mean? I've been trying to figure it out because most of my "close" friends keep using that word whenever they talk about me. My Cheesehead dictionary doesn't have any words with more than three letters.

Anyway, a NEW power tool generally obviates the need for its predecessor. On the other hand, I keep my old Craftsman RAS for sentimental reasons in addition to the fact that it cuts up my long, spindly "scrap" which makes good kindling for the fireplace. :) :)

Dale T.

[Tyler Howell]

Spare???? I neeeeeed Everyone of those tools honey, honest! :rolleyes:

The concept of loaner is a very good one. No more "good stuff" out the door. I am purging a lot of the (HF) quality stuff that I started with or was given too me. "One man's ceiling"
It has made a lot of room and a little change $$$ for future projects

[Steve Clardy]

Hmm. The wife would call them that, but not me. I like to call them EXTRAS, especially when one goes bonkers. Seems I'm always running the bearings or brushes out of a router, so like the eveready bunny, I need to keep going and going.
I sold one EXTRA table saw once, and have regreted it ever since. I could have kept it set up with the dado blade, and wouldn't have to bother changing the blades on my cabinet saw.

[Donnie Raines]

I am not guilty of having to many large tools...though I have some of that stuff too.

I do, however, have many extras in the hand tool department. Block planes, chisels, smoothing planes, files, punches, hammers, screwdrivers.....blah, blah, blah....you get the point.... :rolleyes: